Lowry out of his groove

Shane Lowry during the first round of the Open Championship at Muirfield. Picture Eoin Clarke www.golffile.ieShane Lowry confessed he must get back to basics after mishitting his way to a three over 74 at Muirfield.

The Clara star was one under par with 10 holes to go but bogeyed the ninth after bunkering his second and then dropped three shots on the spin from the 14th — including a “headless” three putt on the 16th — to leave himself struggling to make the cut.

Out of sorts with his swing, Lowry said: “I need to get back to the basics and stop thinking about winning tournaments. I am going in almost trying too hard to do well.

“I just didn’t play well all day really, I struggled to find the club-face and bottom grooved a lot of iron shots. I could have shot a better score than that but I can’t complain, I just didn’t play well enough.

“You can’t play average on this golf course and hope to shoot a good score.”

Lowry tangled with the deep rough at the first, going right and then left before two putting for bogey.

But after draining 20 footers for birdie at the third and eighth, he had to chip out sideways from a fairway bunker and bogeyed ninth before limping home in three over.

The two time European Tour winner’s round unravelled when he hit the wrong club off the tee on the 14th and found deep rough.

After a bogey there he got unlucky at the 15th, running into the back trap with his approach.

Lowry said: “I was a bit headless and three putted the 16th as well, I probably should have shot one or two better but I’m just not committing to it or as confident as I was a couple of weeks ago.

“It is only a game of golf, it is not the end of the world. I will just go out and hit a few balls now and try and sort it out.”